Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Comic Book "Reboot."

The TMNT has a new comic book series that started last month with a #1 with a slightly altered origin story and angle. I've got issues 1 and 2 and both are pretty good and the new direction looks to be interesting.

It looks like a pretty fun series and nice combination of the original comic book series (which was dark and pretty gritty) and the way the Turtles are most remembered, the cartoon. For example all of the turtles have their expected "personality traits" that were common in the cartoon/Archie comics but not as established/used in the original comics.

I've picked up both issues so far as well and enjoyed them.
My only complaint is that too many faces all seem to be in the same place at the "super soldier" lab.
The turtles are there, splinter, April, Baxter who by association is linked to Kang it looks like.
Casey as an abused individual is consistent I suppose he's just now an early/mid 20's living at home still.

I like the idea of Old Hob, curious to see how that develops as well. I also like how they are holding out on bringing in Shredder. They know he's the icon villain and aren't rushing him out at us.

I've also pre-ordered IDW's hardcover deluxe omnibus style collection of the first 7 Mirage issues. Can't wait to get that. Anyone else order that as well?

Yeah, in the comic the turtles were taken from the lab by The Foot, Splinter attacks and then the turtles, Splinter and the mutagen all fall into the sewer. A cat runs off with one of the turtles in its mouth after it had been exposed to the mutagen. Later in the comic, after the turtles have grown to humanoid form, they mention their quest to find their "lost brother."

Looks like the Turtles will be a part of IDW's Infestation 2 crossover, along with Infestation returnees Transformers and GI Joe and newcomers Dungeons and Dragons and 30 Days of Night. Sadly, no return zombie plagues in either the Star Trek or Ghostbusters universes.

This bit from Chris Ryall is interesting...

Chris Ryallsaid:
The other good thing about that, having never done it before, some of the licensors weren't entirely sure what we had in mind so we had to keep all the characters separate. Now that we can show them what we did and show them how it succeeded before, now we're able to cross over some of the characters and have the properties meet up.

My take on that scene and why I didn't think the current Raph separation is related.

I recall that but thought that was more about establishing a grudge with Old Hob. Cause if Hob has had Raph all this time he wouldn't be Raph. They wouldn't really have the connection that they do, cognizant of each other in the bowl as pets or not everything would be different from the point of the mutagen and Hob esconding with one in his mouth. I think they got Raph back early after that moment and his current separation is related to something else. I'm going to double check, did Splinter have dialouge indicating he's been separated from them the past 18 months. Which would be the time frame since the mutagen accident.

My take on that scene and why I didn't think the current Raph separation is related.

I recall that but thought that was more about establishing a grudge with Old Hob. Cause if Hob has had Raph all this time he wouldn't be Raph. They wouldn't really have the connection that they do, cognizant of each other in the bowl as pets or not everything would be different from the point of the mutagen and Hob esconding with one in his mouth. I think they got Raph back early after that moment and his current separation is related to something else. I'm going to double check, did Splinter have dialouge indicating he's been separated from them the past 18 months. Which would be the time frame since the mutagen accident.

Click to expand...

We see the "flashback" of all of this happening. The last panel is of the cat carrying off Raph. covered in mutagen with Leonardo saying, "Do you really think we'll be able to get him back, Master Splinter?" It seems heavily suggested Raph was separated from the group by the cat when they were exposed to the mutagen. They then talk about having looked for him for a year now. We then move to Raph talkin with Casey and Casey expositing that Raph is "homeless" and can't remember his name. My interpretation of all of this is that Raph's separation occurred when the cat carried him away.

I've read issue #3 and enjoyed the backstory provided by Casey about his relationship with his Father. The how's and why's of him putting up with the drunkard abuser.

I'm also curious to get more on Old Hob, how he came to run a street gang and what ties he may have made in the past 18 months since the transformation.

I do like that Hob is this mystery they are giving us out of the gate when the obvious crutch would've been to use Shredder. That of course is going to make his appearance when it does happen that much more anticipatory.

Now a quibble. I know in the original books the turtles all wore red for their bandannas and the different colors were more of a product of the cartoon and Archie comics line but when you've got four main characters that look virtually the same those different colored bandannas can go a long way towards making the characters look different and identifiable. Right now the only real way you can tell the difference in the turtles is their skin is colored slightly differently and the belt/weapon they have on them, (though everyone wears a single waist belt except for Leo who has the straps to support the scabbards for his swords and they don't always have their weapons on them or readied in such a way to make them visible.) It seems as their different personalities that were a product of the cartoon (Michelangelo being a "party dude", Donatello being into machines/science, Leo the leader, Raph the loner) that they'd have kept the different colored bandannas.

They maybe didn't have to use the colors used in cartoons for the different turtles but some physical trait on them should be greatly different enough so that they don't look all alike, right now it's pretty much through their dialogue/personality which doesn't always come through in word/thought balloons.

After the backstory on how the turtles got made I sort of expected the cat-villain was the same cat who made off with Raph, seemed likely the cat was exposed to the mutagen as well in the process. But, yeah, it's been an enjoyable series and I like the treatment of the turtles, Splinter and Casey Jones. Be interesting to see how much more April will be used in future issues and, yes, when the Shredder is finally introduced.

With the franchise under IDW publication they have finally put out the first new collected edition, ala a Essentials/Omnibus format, and it has 8 issues. Mine arrived today and I thought for those TMNT fans out there interested in the early Mirage material to accompany the reboot here are some images.

The Front

The Back

The Spine

Index

First Page

I'm really pleased with how the product turned out. Amazon.com has a good price on it as of now for those interested. I'm going to pre-order vol.2 now as I'm happy with the initial product. Would be great to have the entire original Mirage run collected like this.

Looking forward to issue 4 of the reboot Wednesday as well!! Which, while I'm on the topic of collected editions the first arc of the reboot is up for pre-order as well.

Holy crap! Amazon does have a good price, I'll have to get it from there. I saw this at my comic shop the other day but the $50 price tag turned me away. But it being nearly half-price at Amazon plus free shipping, I'm going for it!

I've been really enjoying the new series and look forward to #4, I hope the four turtles get together soon and the story picks up the pace some.